
AUTHOR: Lillian Duncan
DATE: August 2015
PUBLISHER: Pelican Book Group
STARS: *****
Everyone belongs somewhere. The key to happiness is recognizing that place when you get there.
Maven Morris has lost her way. A childless widow, she has no immediate family. Forced into a medical leave, she has no career. At loose ends, she hasn’t a clue what’s next for her.
Her neighbor, Paul Jordan knows what he wants—to move their friendship to a new level. Maven may not know what’s next, but she knows she has no interest in romance with anyone—not even her handsome neighbor.
When a young boy is abandoned in the city park, he touches Maven's heart. In spite of his obvious special needs, she agrees to provide a foster home. She has no idea the impact he will have on her—or the danger he brings to her doorstep.
Lillian Duncan’s Deadly Intent is a quick read, and that’s a good thing, because I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. When speech therapist Maven meets the abandoned, silent little boy, her reluctance to help dissipates.
But as she, her friend Lizzie, and Paul search for the boy’s family, they are plunged into a horror no one would suspect. I appreciated the way Ms. Duncan pulled me into the terror without using graphic language. The story’s tension kept my nerves taut, and while I wish the plot impossible, news stories prove that monsters do exist.
Faith in God plays an important role, another aspect I really appreciated. Maven Morris is a likeable heroine, and her friends realistic and admirable.
If Ms. Duncan writes a sequel to this story, I’ll have to read it. The publisher offered me an e-copy of this books in exchange for my hones opinion, which I have given.
Deadly Intent is a high-tension suspense, and it earns five stars. Highly recommended.